Education budget goes to teachers

TANGERANG: Head of the Tangerang Education Agency Harry Mulya Zain said on Tuesday that the budget for education had only been put toward the improvement of teachers' welfare rather than education infrastructure and facilities.

Therefore, he claimed, schools' tuition fees are expensive because they (schools) need the money to provide facilities for students.

Harry said in a discussion on the promotion of reading that the agency had proposed that Rp 227 billion (US$26.70 million) be budgeted for education in the 2004 budget, but 90 percent of it would be allocated for the welfare of around 13,000 teachers and school keepers, some of whom receive only Rp 25,000 monthly salary.

"There are no renovation funds for next year. If schools have to renovate their buildings, they must charge the parents. That makes education expensive," he said.

Harry called on businesspeople to donate money to support education in the area.

"If all businesspeople here, which is about 1.4 million, donate Rp 100,000 per month, we can collect Rp 14 billion which is more than enough to renovate the school buildings," he said.

The idea was supported by head of the local branch of the Indonesian Builders Association (Gapensi) Achmad Dasuki.

"We support the idea but will learn the concept first," he said. -- JP